He ran for what felt like half an hour, the sounds growing louder with each stride. Finally, in the dim light filtering through the dense canopy, he saw two figures ahead. It was his sister, Luna, her face strained with effort, a sword clutched tightly in her hand. One of her arms hung limp and useless, clearly injured. Despite her pain, she bravely faced a massive tiger, its eyes glowing menacingly in the darkness. The creature looked incredibly dangerous, its muscles rippling beneath its striped fur. John knew they were deep within the jungle, far from any help, which explained why they had encountered such a formidable beast. This was no ordinary animal; it was known as one of the strongest monsters in their Star City Forest. A cold dread washed over John as he realized the impossible odds. Neither he nor Luna, nor even the strongest fighters from their city, would typically stand a chance against such a creature. Yet, a strange, unwavering courage bloomed within him. Fear seemed to have momentarily deserted him, replaced by a single, burning desire: to save his sister. He took a long, steadying breath, gritted his teeth, and charged forward, yelling with all his might, "Hey! Hey, tiger! Look over here! Your end is here!"
The tiger glanced at John for a fleeting second, its massive head turning towards the new threat. But then, with a dismissive snarl, it ignored him and turned its attention back to Luna, leaping onto her chest, its sharp teeth bared to bite. Reacting instantly, Luna raised her sword, the blade flashing in the dim light as it slashed across the tiger's chest, leaving a deep gash from which dark blood began to flow. The tiger roared in pain and fury, its powerful body recoiling. It then swung its massive paw, catching Luna and sending her flying backward. As she fell, her eyes remained locked on John, a plea etched on her face. "Please... please run away from here," she gasped weakly, her voice fading. "I... I came here for you. If you don't survive, then what was the point of me living?" Her eyes fluttered closed, and she lay still. "No! I won't let anything happen to you!" John cried out, his voice filled with anguish. The tiger, momentarily stunned by Luna's attack, was now poised to strike again, ready to pounce on her defenseless form. Luna was unconscious, unable to fight or flee.
Without hesitation, John surged forward with every ounce of speed he possessed. The tiger was mere feet away from Luna. In a final, desperate act, John roared at the top of his lungs, "Hey, you mangy dog! You coward! If you think you're so tough, come and get me!" His shouts echoed through the silent jungle, but the enraged tiger remained fixated on its unconscious prey. At that horrifying moment, Luna's legs were in the tiger's jaws, and it was about to bite down. A cold dread gripped John, and his entire body broke out in a clammy sweat. Just then, a brilliant flash of light erupted from John's hand, and a large, thick insect materialized on his shoulders. John recognized it instantly – the strange creature he had encountered in the forest, which he had previously teleported. The insect moved with incredible speed, disappearing into the ground beneath them. John stared in disbelief, his attention torn between the disappearing insect and the imminent danger to his sister. Suddenly, before the tiger could crush Luna's leg in its powerful jaws, a sharp, dark object burst from the earth, piercing straight through the tiger's chest. The beast let out a deafening roar of agony, its body convulsing violently.
As the terrible sound echoed through the trees, John watched in stunned silence as something impossible unfolded. The thick insect crawled out from inside the tiger's bloodied fur, moved swiftly to another spot on the creature's body, and burrowed back in. In a matter of seconds, the massive tiger shuddered and collapsed, its form rapidly shrinking until only a bare skeleton remained. The thick insect had devoured its skin, flesh, and even its bones from the inside out. Finally, the insect wriggled into the loose soil, seemingly cleaning the blood from its segmented body.
But then, John's gaze locked onto the insect as it emerged from the earth, and a shiver of unease ran down his spine. He had carefully lifted his unconscious sister into his arms, wanting to escape the terrifying scene as quickly as possible. But the sight of the insect made him hesitate. The creature calmly moved towards him, its segmented body undulating smoothly. John stood frozen, a primal fear gripping him – what if this creature, which had just saved his sister, now intended to harm her? The insect crawled over John's legs, its touch surprisingly gentle, reached his hand, and then vanished in a sudden flash of light. John was utterly bewildered. "What... what was all that?" he whispered, his mind racing. "And that power inside me... how did I fight Tony and Peter when I'm supposed to be so weak?" Lost in a whirlwind of confusion and lingering fear, John quickly carried his still-unconscious sister out of the dark embrace of the jungle.
As they emerged from the trees, the anxious faces of Doctor Thomas, Doctor James, and several other medical personnel came into view. A collective sigh of relief washed over them as they saw Luna and John. They rushed forward, gently taking Luna from John's weary arms, and carried her swiftly towards a clean, well-lit room to receive immediate medical attention. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, John was finally allowed to see Luna. She was still asleep, her face pale but peaceful. He sat beside her, in a silent vigil, and then picked up his laptop. For the next half-hour, he delved into the depths of online information, searching for answers. Slowly, painstakingly, he began to understand the concept of a Neuro-core and the possible origin of the strange, thick insect. Finally, exhausted but with a sliver of understanding, John closed his eyes. When he opened them again, everything was bathed in a blinding white light. "I've connected with my Neuro-core," he realized, a sense of awe washing over him. "And that insect... it's right here!" He could see the creature, glowing faintly, seemingly playing with the radiant energy within him. "That means I really have developed a Neuro-core. And with it... If I tame any beast, it can stay inside my Neuro-core. This is incredible! Unlike others, if I tame monsters, I won't need to carry them around. I can just keep them tamed within me and call them out whenever I need them. But... usually, you need a special device to take them out, something that connects to your Neuro-core. But I took that insect out of my Neuro-core without any device. How did I do that?"
John was still lost in this bewildering revelation when his gaze drifted to a nearby clock. It read 11:05, but in the blink of an eye, the numbers flickered and changed to 12:00. The space around John began to shimmer and crack, like fragile glass shattering. Then, the same fractured reality pulled him inward, a disorienting sensation of being dragged through nothingness. In an instant, the familiar scent of damp earth and decaying leaves filled his nostrils. He was back in the same forest from where he had just teleported. "Oh no, I'm here again!" he thought in utter disbelief. Just then, a vivid memory flashed through his mind. He saw himself, a younger boy, holding the thick insect in his hand. Before that, he remembered witnessing the insect, one of many, swarming over and devouring a large dinosaur. But then, the massive creature had thrashed, accidentally injuring the insect. The injured insect, writhing in pain, had fallen right next to John, who, in a moment of childish compassion, had carefully protected it from the other swarming insects. In that unexpected act of kindness, a strange bond had formed, and the creature had become loyal to John, his unlikely and powerful pet.